National League of Cities Praises Operation Phoenix
The National League of Cities' 2009 report on "The State of City Leadership for Children and Families" provides a laudatory assessment of the Operation Phoenix initiative.
Mayor Pat Morris' supporters will surely point to the report as confirmation that the present administration is on the right track. Those on the other side of San Bernardino's political divide, however, will doubtless take note the report does not mention the management troubles that came to light following last year's arrest of youth center manger Mike Miller on suspicion of child molestation.
Miller has pleaded not guilty.
Here is the report's commentary on Operation Phoenix:
In 2006, San Bernardino, Calif., leaders launched Operation Phoenix, a comprehensive citywide crime prevention initiative with a focus on the city's highest-crime, 20-block police district.
This innovative, two-pronged approach of connecting an existing countywide gang prevention effort with a neighborhood-based strategy involves strong mayoral leadership, decentralization of services and unique cross-system collaboration. Mayor Pat Morris has used his "bully pulpit" to build public will and convene key stakeholders. The police chief, city code enforcement officer and San Bernardino County Children's Network guide the initiative.
By leveraging city, county and community resources and partnerships, San Bernardino is able to blend intensive law enforcement with expanded access to multiple services and stronger community engagement efforts in the target neighborhood.
The balanced approach of Operation Phoenix consists of a set of 18 interlocking prevention, intervention and suppression strategies.
Operation Phoenix partners collaborate to optimize their services and programs, and there is continual cross-referral of neighborhood problems and needs. The city has hired new police officers and worked with state and federal law enforcement agencies to track violent offenders with GPS and crack down on illegal gun and drug traffickers. Simultaneously, teams of volunteers and city staff work in the neighborhoods to improve landscaping and street lighting, revitalize neighborhood watches and remove graffiti. The city is also using aggressive code enforcement to demolish abandoned buildings and hold property owners accountable for the environmental
conditions that breed criminal activity.
Other key citywide strategies include:
• Promoting affordable, quality child care and preschool programs;
• Expanding afterschool opportunities and vocational education; and
• Coordinating service delivery at an Operation Phoenix youth center, which offers athletic programs, homework help and parenting and English as a Second Language classes.
More than 30 city, county, state and community partners take part in Operation Phoenix through its steering committee and street teams, which are both staffed by the county Children's Network. Building on a 2005 countywide gang prevention initiative, county departments have strengthened coordination with police and other partnering
city agencies on everything from expanding access to child protection to improving treatment for substance abuse and mental health. Operation Phoenix's target neighborhood is linked to the county's Healthy Babies initiative and the Children Services Department's Family-to-Family initiative, which restructures the child welfare system
by empowering neighborhood-based teams of social workers, foster and birth families and community members. The Family-to-Family approach aims to reduce reliance on institutional care and help children remain safely with their families before out-of-home placement becomes necessary.
Other examples of city-county collaboration are apparent in the Probation Department's efforts to provide parenting classes for families in the target neighborhood,
and the Behavioral Health Department's collaboration with the Fire Department and school district to develop a program for juvenile fire-setters.
Operation Phoenix receives funding from Measure Z, a .25-cent sales tax increase approved by voters in November 2006 by two-thirds of the electorate. In addition, the mayor's office created the nonprofit Operation Phoenix Foundation to garner funds from private sources. Results thus far are promising. After seven months of implementation,
an initial city-county report found that violent crime fell by 38 percent in the target neighborhood in the last six months of 2006 compared with the same time period in 2005.
In addition, residents' perceptions of community safety have also improved since 2006. Since Operation Phoenix began three years ago, the citywide homicide rate
is down 32 percent, vehicle thefts have fallen 23 percent and aggravated assaults have decreased by 20 percent. Operation Phoenix was recently expanded to three additional high-crime neighborhoods. (SB Now note: Only two Operation Phoenix centers are currently open.)
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Andrew Edwards. E-mail Andrew here.
It is a shame the Nobel Prize committee did not hear about our Mayor Morris and his wonderful Phoenix Program sooner, President Obama could have had a challenger for the Nobel Piece Prize. I guess the Mayor having watched a college football game this weekend will have to just settle for the Heisman Trophy instead.
Where else but in AMERICA can a newly elected President get the Nobel Prize after 11 days in office and the Mayor of a crime ridden City get national recognition after fathering a neighborhood program where he installed child molesters that molested underage children, where explicit adult photo sessions occurred, indoor paint-ball wars occurred, petty theft of equipment is routine, and convicted child molesters work all with the knowledge of those who are supposed to be responsible for the overall and day-to-day operations?
Now I ask you…what is wrong with this picture? Do we want or can we stand more of this type of leadership for the next four years?
It is a shame the Nobel Prize committee did not hear about our Mayor Morris and his wonderful Phoenix Program sooner, President Obama could have had a challenger for the Nobel Piece Prize. I guess the Mayor having watched a college football game this weekend will have to just settle for the Heisman Trophy instead.
Where else but in AMERICA can a newly elected President get the Nobel Prize after 11 days in office and the Mayor of a crime ridden City get national recognition after fathering a neighborhood program where he installed child molesters that molested underage children, where explicit adult photo sessions occurred, indoor paint-ball wars occurred, petty theft of equipment is routine, and convicted child molesters work all with the knowledge of those who are supposed to be responsible for the overall and day-to-day operations?
Now I ask you…what is wrong with that picture? Do we want or can we stand more of this type of leadership for the next four years?
What is a shame is that we can't be proud of our accomplishments as city. It is so unbecoming to say horrible things about our Mayor and Commander in Chief. Please respect the offices which these men hold.
Who in God's name has gotten to this paper?! This article is slanted to the fullest! What about the OTHER issues: violations of civil rights; the raids; the police abuse of power; the OTHER pedophiles and bebe gun fights; the fact that the mayor used his position to stop an investigation into Operation Phoenix; everything else that is being ignored in this blog? I am very disappointed in this blog.
This article is not complete! PLEASE FINISH IT! I am sorry I ever promoted it if it's going to put things like this out. You can do better!
Political Watcher, it is the Nobel Peace Prize. President Obama realized that he received it as an expression of hope for the entire world, he said so in his acceptance speech.
I do see what you mean about leadership. Can this city stand two more years of a tryanical drama-queen that sit on a memo so important to children for the attempt a political gain? Wasting a million taxpayer dollars on the quest to get rid of a restaurant. His inability to understand what is going on at the Arden-Guthrie site is disturbing. Does he comprehend what he is reading? What about handcuffing a parent in front of a child for a misunderstanding. You are so right! Our fair city can not stand this type of leadership.
With the national acclaim and invitation to The White House; our elevated API scores; dramatically decreased crime; and, now this National League of Cities praise, it's more than evident Mr. Penman should stop disparaging the proven success of the Operation Phoenix model as an unethically dishonest means of attempting to gain votes as he runs yet again for mayor after breaking even his own records for embarrassingly bizarre public behavior.
THERE IS NO PROVEN, OF ANY KIND, SUCCESS OF OPERATION PHOENIX. IT IS GLORIFIED BABYSITTING. GO THERE AND SEE FOR YOURSELF. ELEVATED API SCORES HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH PAT MORRIS AND ALIAS KNOWS IT. BUT THEN AGAIN ALIAS MUST BE JIM MORRIS TO BELIEVE THE STUFF HIS DADDY TELLS HIM. GRANDMA IS ROLLING OVER IN HER GRAVE TO READ THIS TOTAL KA KA!!
Hey, Andrew, how about going to year to date comparison's for crime stats. I just visited their site. 2008 compared to 2009, some heavy duty crimes are up like almost 100 percent. Why isn't the paper reporting that? Oh, that's right, they endorsed Morris, so why would they print facts? Never mind.
Those folks reading this may rest assured on these FACTS:
San Bernardino's Mayor Morris was invited to The White House over the SUCCESS at Operation Phoenix meriting NATIONAL LEVEL ACCLAIM (similar to the nation level acclaim of then Judge Morris' Drug Court - keeping our less fortunate out of prisons and reforming them into the wholesome folks we raised them to be in the first place!)
San Bernardino's Mayor Morris was LAUDED by NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES for the SUCCESSES of Operation Phoenix
San Bernardino's Mayor Morris is endorsed by ALL LOCAL MEDIA (and has many endorsements and supporters listed on his website, whereas Penman's site has a list of old quotes from ex-mayor Valles - something so upsetting to the community, she had to come out of retirement and issue a formal "I AM NOT ENDORSING PENMAN" statement to the press, just last week - Still, Penman leaves the quote there, to mislead readers - it is, after all, "a quote" - never mind it's from long ago and has NOTHING to do with Penman's campaign! LOL! - Penman, the crafty deceiver, always!
LOL!
San Bernardino's Mayor Morris has MANY listed ACCOMPLISHMENTS (not pie in the sky plans, but DONE DEALS! REALITIES!) listed on his website - Penman has: NONE
When the police try to speak with Penman, he refuses to cooperate.
When the media invited Penman to interview, he refuses to answer their questions - UNLIKE MAYOR MORRIS WHO ATTENDED TO ALL MEDIA OPENLY (Where was Penman hiding out while the media and police were asking questions? Hmmm?)
And, WHY would always camera ready Penman suddenly turn tail and run for cover at every hint of a question being asked of him?
God Bless Mayor Morris for bringing the THOUSANDS of JOBS to SB over these past 4 years AND for the MANY MORE GREEN JOBS TO COME - GREEN JOBS, no less! Only the best from Mayor Morris, ALWAYS! Thus, the NATIONAL ACCLAIM!
Face it, the dark days are over in SB - come out into the SUN and bask in the BEAUTY of a city ON THE MOVE, AGAIN! YES!
City of San Bernardino - Mbr City Council, Ward 2
11/11 100.00%
Vote Count Percent
DENNIS BAXTER 1,243 60.66%
PAUL ADAMS 799 38.99%
Write-In 7 0.34%
Total 2,049 100.00%
That's the factual representation of our ward's overwhelming support of Dennis Baxter in the last election.
The support was justified and well-deserved then and is even moreso now with the Penman appointed challenger renting a house over on Campus Way by the 215 in recent weeks, just to have an address within 2nd ward boundaries after failing to launch his first campaign, against Ester Estrada in our city's first ward.
No room for Penman's carpetbaggers in Ward 2 either, Jason - will Ward 3 be next, or are you going back to Malibu and leaving all this mess you've unfortunately allowed yourself to be dragged into behind?
DENNIS BAXTER FOR WARD 2 - A PROVEN WINNER!
Just Another "Alias" for Phil Savage
Election season is so sad. Name calling, finger pointing. Come on guys (and gals), can't we all just get along. We live together year after year and just because we are going through an election cycle there is no reason to be so nasty. It's like watching a city council meeting.
Just because you don't agree on the same candidate is not a reason to be so uncivil.
Mark your ballot in private and leave it be.
I voted for Mr Penman four years ago. I have been watching the city council meetings for several months and I am changing my vote this year in favor of Mayor Morris. Mr Penman seems hostile, obstructive and bent on furthering his own agenda. He needs to stick to his job of providing legal advice to the common council. Mayor Morris was able to be in control of a very hostile meeting today, and if he is able to do that he has my vote! Also I really like the new city manager's style, I think he will be a change agent for our city.